Project Server 2010 - Team Member Group Permissions Bug

In my blog, i would like to highlight one of the issue been fixed after applying the December CU of Project Server 2010. Few weeks back i come across this issue while i was trying accessing Projects as Team Member group user. Initially i thought it was me who forgot to check an appropriate category permission but after confirming few times all the settings, my doubt became concrete when i browse through a techNet site - where more than a few users have registered a similar incident as an Issue.

To make my self more meaningful, below is the scenario:

Scenario:

• Resource is a member of Team Member group.
• Resource is only allowed to view the Project plan
• Resource is not allowed to edit any Project custom field information
• Resource is not allowed to edit Project Schedule

Following is the screen shot of the Team member group permission following the above scenario:

Result:

When user of the above mentioned group try to access the project detail from the Project Center, the user will end up with the following error.

When access project, Error.

First Solution:
For the sake of work around, if you only allow user to Edit Project Custom fields (which ideally shouldn't be allowed), it will work.

The user is now able to edit the Project summary fields, but not able to change the Project schedule.

Second Solution:

If you deny the Edit Project Summary fields and allow user to Save project to project server and publish project (ideally this shouldn't be allowed to team members) it will work: The user will not be able to edit the Project custom fields, but enable to update the Project Schedule :)

The fact of the matter is, both the above solutions are not acceptable for customers. It does not make sense that the user of the Team Member group can update Project custom field or Project Schedule or both. I have also found a comment of one of the senior moderator at techNet, and he wasnt agreed of calling it an issue and rather explained it as design behavior of new Project Server 2010. But on a contrary, i stick to my opinion of calling it a Issue, as to me no design is good if its unable to fulfill customers basic requirement.

Although the Microsoft has released a hot fix ( http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2459112/) to fix the above issue. The more good news is that MS has also released December CU for Project Server 2010 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2459258/) which contains this fix along with the other fixes. Applying this CU will enable Team member users to access the Project detail only by allowing them to Open Project group permission.

Posted in: Project Server 2010 - Knows Issues,Project Server 2010 Updates,Project Server Permissions